Bella’s Bottle is an activity to set adrift a helium or hydrogen filled Mylar balloon carrying a very small ham radio transmitter. Once it reaches about 30,000 feet in altitude, it catches the jet stream and can be carried wherever the jet stream takes it. That could be around the world! Ham Radio stations on earth receive the transmissions and share the location on the internet so everyone can track its whereabouts. The payload can contain a message on a micro SD card. It's like a 21st century version of the old "message in a bottle" if and when someone finds it.

For more information on this project, click on the following link:Bella's Bottle

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Spring Picnic and Foxhunt

Our annual Spring Picnic and Fox Hunt has been postponed to a later date. Stay tuned.-----------------------------------------------------------------

Recent Meeting Programs Have Been Outstanding* February 2020 - Mickey Baker, N4MB, ARRL’s Southeastern Division Director on Getting On The Air* January 2020 - Special sneak peek at the new telescope and redesigned ham radio area at the Science Center* December 2019 - No Meeting. Holiday Party at BJ's West Palm Beach* November 2019 - Ryan O'Connor N0JEP on WSPR and KiwiSDR* October 2019 - Les Kalmus W2LK on the Ducie Island DXpedition of 2018. Les was one of the participants on the island.* September 2019 - Second Annual Used Equipment Auction* June 2019-Josh Mahr N4KSM presented "Hot Spots for VHF/UHF Digital Modes"* May 2019-Tour of new Brain Exhibit at the Science Center led by Marc Wiskoff W2MBW* April 2019-Introduction to about D-Star, led by Steve Ikler KS3K* March 2019-Balloon Launch by Marc Wiskoff W2MBW* February 2019-Jim Nagle KF4OD presented "The Softer Side of SDR"* January 2019-Marc Wiskoff W2MBW conducted a special show for us at the Science Center Planetarium.

Successful VE Session on December 7, 2019

On December 7, 2019 the club held its regularly scheduled Volunteer Examiner (VE) test session at the Science Center. We had seven candidates taking tests. Four achieved their Tech class licenses and one passed the Extra exam. Congratulations to all.

The next VE test session will be on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 10:30 AM at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, Discovery III building. Please contact Jerry Grant KI4NUV at ki4nuv "at" yahoo "dot" com to reserve a spot for the test.

WPBARG Links Students with Astronaut in Space Via Ham Radio

In 2016, the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium (SFSC&A) submitted a proposal to the "Amateur Radio on the International Space Station" (ARISS) program to host a radio contact with the crew on-board the International Space Station (ISS). The proposal included the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group as its partner to provide technical assistance. In a December 15, 2016 press release, the program announced that their proposal was selected to "move forward into the Next Stage of the ARISS Selection". Only 11 schools/organizations qualified for the second half of 2017. A successful contact with the space station was held on November 6, 2017.

Local students were given the chance of a lifetime to talk live with an astronaut in space. During the radio contact, eleven young students talked with Italian astronaut/ham Paolo Nespoli and asked questions they had prepared. The students, ranging in age from 7 to 12, were selected after writing an essay on what one question they would like to ask an astronaut. There was only a nine minute window where the ISS was in range for a radio contact. The ISS travels about 17,600 miles per hour and is over 250 miles above earth.

Members of the WPBARG were actively involved in the event. The lead technical person was Jim Nagle KF4OD and he was assisted by Rex Rathbun AJ4GC. Jim initiated the contact by calling, "NA1SS this is WS4FSC." NA1SS is the callsign of the ISS and WS4SFC is the callsign for the club's radio station. After a couple calls, the ISS replied and the contact began. Jim then handed the microphone over to the first student for him to ask his question. After receiving the answer from the astronaut, the next students followed with their questions. Things went so smoothly that some students had time to ask a second question.

The WPBARG was previously given the opportunity to conduct a radio contact with the ISS at the Science Center in 2012.

ABOUT ARISSAmateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States, and other international space agencies and international amateur radio organizations around the world. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers from amateur radio clubs and coordination from the ARISS team, the ISS crew members speak directly with large group audiences in a variety of public forums such as school assemblies, science centers and museums, Scout camporees, jamborees and space camps, where students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and Amateur Radio.

Jim Nagle, KF4OD, being interviewed by media.

Club Celebrates 80th Anniversary in 2019

The West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group was founded on July 12, 1939 which means that we celebrate our 80th Anniversary this year. We plan to have several events during the year to celebrate the occasion. Our new Anniversary Logo is at the top of this column. We are working with our shirt vendor to have special shirts with the logo available for purchase. We had a Special Operating Event On-The-Air from July 5, 2019 through July 19, 2019 using the callsign W4P. Special QSL cards were sent to those who contacted us and sent an SASE. We made over 1,000 contacts during the event and all contacts were uploaded to the "Logbook of the World" (LoTW).

◦ South Florida Science Center & Aquarium - for use of building and grounds ◦ Loan of generator Jerry Grant KI4NUV ◦ Other overnight operators/security – Rex Rathbun AJ4GC and Joe Duffy KC4FSU ◦ All the operators and loggers and all the people who helped with setup and take-down

Technician Class Given on April 27-28, 2019

On April 27-28, 2019, the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group gave a Technician Class test review session. The instructor was Richard Smith KM4RYM. Five students took the class and all five passed their Technician exams.